Fleeting Thoughts
by Kitsilver
Summary: Fire Emblem 7 A collection of stories looking at the thoughts different characters experience but do not express. Parts 1-4: Kent, Fiora, Heath, Jaffar.
1. Kent: For my Lady

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.   


Fleeting Thoughts

Kent: For my Lady

_I have always done my duty_

My spear comes down.

My shield takes the blow.

_For my honor_

I wipe the sweat from my eyes, I see blood.

I turn my head and steed, trying to find her.

_It is all that I have ever known_

Where is she?

Slash and defend, again and again.

_But is it enough?_

There, a splash of green through the chaos.

With a shout I urge my horse onward.

_Because I am a man as well as a knight_

She is surrounded and wounded, blood drips from her side.

She fights on, but… I must make it.

_And I can no longer deny what I have felt_

A blow to her shoulder has knocked her down.

Too many surround her.

_For my liege, for my lady_

A sword rises above her fallen form.

My spear brings him down.

_As her knight, I owe her my loyalty_

She gets to her feet and I stand beside her.

My horse rears up and I draw my sword.

_As her friend, I give her my trust_

A mace rams me off my horse.

Her whirling blade defends me.

_As the man who loves her…_

Friendly shouts and weapons come to us.

They drive off the enemy and give us some respite.

She offers me a hand and smiles at me.

_All I can do is smile in return_

_Even though she is more to me than she will ever know_

_My lady and liege_

_My fierce and funny and compassionate friend_

_This woman born of nobility but free as the plains of her birth_

_She brings laughter and warmth, hope and joy_

_And taught me there was an even stronger tie than duty_

_A bond deeper than friendship_

_And pain that cannot be healed by time or magic_

_It could never be, even if I were to tell her _

_For I am her knight_

_And I am not the man who has captured her heart_

I take her hand and stand.

And fight beside her once again.

_I will be her shield and fight for her_

_I will be her friend and laugh and live with her_

_Without her every truly knowing_

_All that I feel_

Kent to Lyn - Rekka no Ken

* * *

_Notes: So what do you think? It's not my usual style, and I wonder if what I was trying to do came through. I wanted to show the reader a glimpse of what the character was seeing, while delving into the character's inner thoughts. I also wanted it to be as simple and immediate as possible to make it seem as if the reader was going through these thoughts and observations moment by moment as the character experiences them. Anyways, whether or not I did all that, it was a fun piece to write. _

_Not sure if I'll continue in this vein, but I'll leave it open for now. _

_Thanks for reading, and as always thoughts and reviews are welcome!_

_-Kitsilver-_


	2. Fiora: To the Sky

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.   


Fleeting Thoughts

Fiora: To the Sky

_There is nothing like the feeling of soaring through the sky_

_The feel of my pegasus beneath me_

_The beat of his wings as we fly_

_It is as if I could just breathe_

_And take in the whole of the blue sky into myself_

_- _

_Thoughts of battle recede_

_Worries of what tomorrow may bring_

_Of the many dangers that would come _

_Fade away_

_- _

_And the faces of comrades lost..._

_-_

My heart twists at their memory

-

_Never forgotten, never truly gone_

_But here among the clouds _

_They're not so far away_

_- _

_It is the sky that binds us still_

_For it is part of who we are_

_Children of the sky_

_Born to fly free though our duty binds us to war_

_To protect the land of our birth_

_To fight and die for our duty_

_And do so with honor_

_- _

_But when battle wanes and we can simply fly_

_Without fear of danger and death_

_Free to feel the sun on our faces_

_And the wind in our hair _

_There is no greater joy for us_

_The riders of the pegasi_

_- _

I think of the friends lost in a battle not long ago

Remember the laughter and stories we shared

And their untimely deaths

-

_Honor and duty were as dear to them _

_And they loved to soar through the sky_

_As much as I_

_- _

_Was it right that they had died while I yet lived?_

_- _

The question I tried never to ask myself

Comes unbidden

And the grief and guilt I tried never to show

Finally break through

-

_Would they have done anything differently?_

_Would they have traded everything for another chance?_

_Would they forgive me…for living while they died?_

_- _

Impatiently I wipe the tears from my eyes

Feel the wind sweep them away as I look to the sky

And urge my pegasus to greater heights

-

_I soar to the sun, searching for my answer_

_And find...peace_

_- _

I close my eyes

To feel the sun and wind caress my face

-

Fiora to the Sky – Rekka no Ken

* * *

_Notes: It's definitely not where I thought it would go when I first started writing this piece, but I'm happy with how it turned out. _

_Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed and, as always, thoughts and reviews are welcome!  
_

_-Kitsilver-  
_


	3. Heath: Just this Moment

10-26-07

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.  


Fleeting Thoughts

Heath: Just this Moment 

_Come with me_

I say with outstretched hand

Her hand takes mine and she sits before me

Holding onto my arms tightly as Hyperion readies to fly

-

_Please do not fear_

I hold her close and tell her

That all will be well

-

Gusts of wind blown by wyvern wings

Scatter the soil around us

Then with a mighty leap we ascend

Bound to earth no longer

_- _

I turn my head to look at her

Only to chuckle at seeing her eyes shut tightly

I draw near, her red hair tickling my face

"Open your eyes."

-

_And see what I see_

The world is different when seen from the sky

Forests dark and brooding appear emerald green from above

Broad rivers like azure ribbons weaving through

Mere wisps of clouds now floating bastions of white

I show her everything I see

And she exclaims at their beauty

Her fear forgotten

-

_Feel what I feel_

She laughs, and my breath seems to stop

At the delight that makes her face shine

The joy that glows from clear green eyes

"It's beautiful!" She shouts over the wind

"Yes, it is." I murmur, my gaze never leaving her face

-

_For just this moment..._

I cannot say how long we soared

Or when she leaned back against me

Her head nestled to my shoulder

And her hands intertwined with mine

-

_...Be with me_

_-_

_In this moment, in this place_

_Where she is simply a woman_

_And I, just a man_

_In this fleeting world among the clouds_

_Where I just hold her close_

_And forget why we could never be_

_-_

_I wish that we could fly forever_

_Even while knowing the moment must end_

The sun is near the horizon when I bring us back to earth

To an isolated bluff overlooking a valley and facing the sun

-

I leap down and reach up to help her

But long after her feet touch the ground

My hands remain at her waist

Her hands still holding mine

And I cannot step away

-

Her eyes…if they are the windows to the soul as poets say

Then the heavens arrayed in all the glory of the setting sun

Is a reflection of her soul

So very beautiful…

-

Her warm breath puffs against my cheek

And the heat between us burns

Before I realize how close my lips are to hers

I pull my hands away and step back

My breathing as unsteady as her own

-

"...Heath, why did you bring me here?"

I look at her and know I cannot tell her the truth

-

_That I had to bring her to the one place where I can be free _

_Without the stigma of my position_

_Without fear of capture _

_Without knowledge of her station _

_And the wide gulf that lies between us_

_- _

_I am a soldier and a deserter_

_With no roof but the sky over my head_

_With no country or home _

_With nothing to offer her but uncertainty, hardship_

_And pain _

_-_

_What kind of man would I be _

_To give these things to the woman I love? _

_-_

_But this, at least, I could offer without shame _

_The feeling of soaring through the skies _

_If this is all I could give her, then I would give it without complaint_

_Without asking for more_

_Without wishing..._

_Well, perhaps that last is a lie _

_-_

"To show you the sunset, nothing more."

She thanks me but, there is sadness in her eyes even as she smiles

-

_I cannot help but wish that she could fly with me_

_In a world that would last_ _for more than just this moment_

_- _

Heath to Priscilla - Rekka no Ken

* * *

Notes: The first half of this piece was sitting on my desk for more than a week and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to finish it. Then one day I read it again, and the words just came. I love it when that happens. The last few lines also made me change the title from "Fly with Me" to "Just this Moment". 

Thanks for reading and, as always, thoughts and reviews are welcome.

-Kitsilver-


	4. Jaffar: Lost in Darkness

12-4-07

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem

Fleeting Thoughts

Jaffar: Lost in Darkness

_I am the Angel of Death_

_What is ordered, I do_

_Without thought or remorse_

_Questioning nothing, feeling nothing_

_-_

Until this order

"Nino betrayed us. Kill her."

-

I bow my head and say nothing

Even though for the first time

I did not want to do what I had been ordered

And I cannot understand why

-

I run through the night

Blending in with the shadows

Unseen and unknown

A specter more than a man

-

_Born in shadow _

_Raised by darkness_

_From the moment he found me_

_And taught me to kill _

_To feel nothing_

_To be nothing_

_But death _

_-_

_There was no laughter_

_No smiles_

_No warmth_

_No light in this world_

_-_

Until she came

It was her laughter that first drew me to her

This small girl with scruffy green hair

And a smile so bright it did not belong in this dark place

-

She did not fear me

Even when I returned splattered in blood

Or lashed out in sleep from nightmares that wouldn't end

There was one dream in particular

Where those I've killed came back for me

Reaching out with grisly hands

To drag me deeper into the depths of hell

I killed them all again in my dreams

All except one

A woman who only looked at me with sorrow

And whispered the last word on her lips before she died, "Matthew"

More than once I've woken from that dream

Only because Nino rushed to my side

-

_Why did she never run? _

_Why did she not see this night would come? _

_-_

I find Nino alone

Staring up at the stars as if unaware of danger

Without a sound I close the distance between us

But somehow she senses my presence and faces me

-

"You know why I've come," I tell her

-

She only nods and gives me a tiny smile

Her eyes are bright with tears

But still she looks at me without fear

"I am ready."

-

My blade is drawn from its sheath

A slow hiss of metal that resonates through the air

I lower my body in readiness for a single strike

And still she does nothing

Only looks at me with blue eyes

Which seem to forgive even as they say goodbye

-

I feel myself shaking

My breath coming too fast

And I am seized by the image of a precipice

At which I am poised, dangling

Over an abyss of endless night

-

"Damn you," I growl. "I cannot do this with you looking. Close your eyes!"

-

She gasps sharply

Her face scrunches up and tears fall down her face

But still she whispers

"I'm glad I met you, Jaffar."

Before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes

-

I spring toward her

Ready to kill as I have done countless times before

I raise my blade, but the moment before I strike

Her eyes open

And what I see there…

-

_Impossible_

-

My blade drops

I cannot move, cannot break her gaze

For her eyes are like the eyes of the woman in my dream

Full of sorrow

But also something more

Something deeper I cannot name

The emotion in that woman's eyes when she called to him

Also shines in Nino's eyes when she looks at me

-

I fall to my knees

Fighting for every shallow breath

My heart beating a rapid tattoo in my chest

-

_I am the Bringer of Death_

_So why…why can't I do it?_

-

"J-Jaffar…?"

She reaches a trembling hand to me

And I snarl as I jerk my head away

But am unable to move when I feel her fingers on my cheek

And can only stiffen, clenching my fists

Fighting _something_ sweeping through me at her touch

-

Then she releases a ragged breath

And falls to her knees beside me

Slowly she wraps her arms around my neck

And buries her face against my throat

Whispering my name again and again

-

This is weakness! Some part of my mind rages

And I put my hands up to push her away

But instead find them going around her

Holding her gently at first

Then gripping tightly, desperately

As if she could stop the emotions rushing through me

I cannot understand the burning in my eyes

Or the wetness on my face

-

She pulls away and looks at me with something like wonder

Then softly places her lips first on one cheek, then the other

Kissing my tears away

And in that moment

The cold and dark

Shatters around a heart I thought long dead

And I feel…warm

"Nino…"

-

She smiles

And embraces me once again

I exhale

And finally surrender

-

I hold her close, unable to say another word

But knowing that everything has changed

She had made her way into my very soul

-

_For when I was bound to darkness_

_She was the light that set me free_

-

Jaffar to Nino – Rekka no Ken

* * *

Author's Notes: This was a challenge to write because it had to fit Jaffar's dark past but also show Nino's part in his life. I thought of scrapping it too when I found it deviated too much from game events, but decided to let it stand as an alternate rather than true retelling of Nino and Jaffar's story. 

Thank you everyone for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the piece. Also, I'd like to thank bblonski, Kitten Kisses, NazalieSan, and Frog-Lizard for reviewing _Fleeting Thoughts_ since the beginning. I truly appreciate it.

-Kitsilver-


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